Achi news desk-
ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) gathered government officials, local and international partners, and communities from Buner and Upper Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to celebrate the completion of a $10 million human development activity, a press release said.
For four years, the project empowered local communities and organizations to achieve sustainable development results in health and education. Through collaboration with the KP government, the project provided grants to Pakistani organizations to implement interventions in education and health, including running accelerated learning program centers and restructuring and strengthening the primary health committee to include women members.
The event highlighted the instrumental support of the provincial departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for education, health and population welfare. These departments contributed to the planning, implementation and supervision of the interventions, while fostering a deeper understanding of government priorities among local partners, addressing implementation challenges and promoting the integration of health and education services.
Government officials expressed gratitude to USAID, Palladium’s implementing partner, and local organizations. They reaffirmed their commitment to leveraging the insights and experiences gained from the project, including their ongoing support of over 1,000 out-of-school students enrolled in 34 accelerated learning program centers in Bonner and Upper Dir.
In her closing remarks, USAID/Pakistan Mission Director Kate Sumongsiri praised the collaborative efforts of stakeholders, especially partners and local communities. She acknowledged the central role played by women and youth in making the initiatives include disadvantaged groups, and told the communities that “your involvement made these results possible.” She further emphasized USAID’s ongoing partnership with the Government of Pakistan and reiterated USAID’s commitment to locally led equitable development.
The human development activity leaves a legacy of strengthened partnerships, improved local capacity and improved service delivery in Bonner and Upper Dir. Notable achievements include the significant increase in school enrolment, with over 34,000 out-of-school children now attending formal and informal primary schools, more than 90% of whom are girls.
In addition, over 7,000 public service providers in health and education have been trained, ensuring high quality service delivery. The project delivered maternal and child health messages to more than 700,000 people, and it provided voluntary family planning services to more than 300,000 women and children.
